The Philadelphia Flyers were better in month two of the regular season than in month one, but any talk of resurgence might be a bit overblown. After all, when you get off to a 1-7 start, usually there’s nowhere to go but up.

So up the orange and black have climbed in the standings to a place of respectability, just two points out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. But the hot streak that propelled Philadelphia back to relevance is over now, and the Flyers are again looking suspiciously like the scoring-challenged team that the numbers indicate they are.

We’re now one-third of the way through the 2013-14 season, and Philadelphia ranks 29th out of 30 NHL teams in goal scoring, barely averaging north of two per game (2.07). Five clubs are a full goal better. Only the Buffalo Sabres with the worst record in the league light the lamp with less frequency.

It’s no wonder the Flyers haven’t been able to get above the .500 mark. They probably wouldn’t be in the neighborhood at all (12-13-2) if it wasn’t for the sharp goaltending of Steve Mason.

The offense did enjoy a brief outbreak during the month of November, averaging 3.29 goals over a seven-game run in which the club was unbeaten in regulation, going 6-0-1.

In the five games since however, the scoring—or lack thereof—has reverted back to normal. The Flyers are averaging 1.6 goals, and have barely managed to post a 2-3 record over the current span. Most recently, they were shut out by the Minnesota Wild on Monday.

Maybe that will provide a spark much the same way their last goose egg did. Marty Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils blanked Philly 3-0 right before their little run last month.

But Claude Giroux’s comments after their latest loss suggest the confidence level still isn’t where it needs to be, in the dressing room or on the ice. Via Flyers beat writer Sam Carchidi for the Inquirer:

“I think we played a good game defensively, and [Ray Emery] did a good job of shutting the door a little bit. We just have to have a little more at the other end."

"Same story as the start of the year; we just need to get more pucks to the net and maybe more traffic and the puck will start going in," Giroux said.

Same story as the start of the year, when it took the Flyers until their 10th game to find the back of the net more than twice in one skate. In fact, take away one decent seven-game stretch, and they still have eclipsed two goals just twice all season—once by virtue of a shootout win.

As if things weren’t bad enough, Vinny Lecavalier is expected to miss his second game in a row on Wednesday with back spasms, this time against a hot Detroit Red Wings team no less. The Wings are riding a four-game winning streak. The Flyers are a weary club in the middle of a six-game road trip.

What’s interesting is the Flyers aren’t at the bottom for shots taken, so it’s not for a lack of attempts. They’re only 19th with 29.1 per contest, and that says nothing for the quality of the shots, either.

Part of the problem is their power play has sunk for some unknown reason. Last season, Philadelphia’s power play was third, resulting in a goal 21.6 percent of the time. This season it’s 23rd, converting on just 14.9 percent, and it’s not like there’s a huge difference in personnel.

Whatever the problem is, it’s real and doesn’t appear to be going away. Any team is capable of getting hot for a couple of weeks, but the Flyers need to find some sustained scoring from somewhere. Sure, they’re in the mix for a playoff berth in a weak conference, but with these laughable scoring totals, who can take them seriously right now?